Dermatologists and skincare lovers agree: Discovering the most effective vitamin C serum on your pores and skin kind may be extremely useful—and difficult. That’s as a result of vitamin C (a.ok.a. L-ascorbic acid) is a type of does-it-all substances, with advantages starting from brightening to anti-aging. It’s significantly nice at lightening hyperpigmentation (like zits scars and darkish spots) and night out your pores and skin tone due to its capability to inhibit the manufacturing of melanin, the pigment in pores and skin. It’s additionally in every single place—you’ll find it in all types of serums, face moisturizers, and even cleansers.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which implies it will probably assist neutralize free radicals. These unstable atoms kind because of publicity to environmental stressors like UV rays and air pollution. Over time, free radicals could cause oxidative stress that will hurt your pores and skin and trigger untimely indicators of getting old. Utilizing sunscreen each day, together with a strong antioxidant (like vitamin C), is the easiest way to guard your pores and skin from any such harm.
However with seemingly limitless vitamin C merchandise on the market, it may be exhausting to know which one is best for you. That’s why we spoke with dermatologists to get their picks and find out how you’ll find the correct product on your pores and skin kind and objectives.
Our high picks
- Greatest Total: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, $182
- Greatest for Delicate Pores and skin: Dr. Loretta Anti-Growing older Restore Serum, $110
- Greatest Light-weight: Tatcha The Brightening Serum, $89
- Greatest for Pimples: La Roche-Posay Pure 12% Vitamin C Serum, $47
- Greatest with Retinol: Matter of Truth Wrinkle + Texture Focus, $108
- Highest Focus: Magnificence Stat Common C Refiner Vitamin C Brightening Serum, $62
- Greatest for Exfoliating: Tata Harper Resurfacing Serum, $92
- Greatest for Irritation: SkinMedica Vitamin C + E Complicated, $106
- Greatest for Hydration: Olay Tremendous Serum, $35
On this article
Store the most effective vitamin C serums
We suggest including certainly one of these to your morning skincare routine ASAP.
Greatest Total: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
Probably the most well-known vitamin C serums in the marketplace, SkinCeuticals’s C E Ferulic combines highly effective substances in simply the correct formulation. Dermatologist Jerome Potozkin, MD, calls it a “standout amongst topical vitamin C serums.” It accommodates 15% L-ascorbic acid (a fairly potent dose of vitamin C), together with nourishing vitamin E and ferulic acid for an antioxidant triple risk.
SELF’s way of life author, Jenna Ryu, swears by this serum for lightening her post-breakout darkish spots. “Nothing actually compares to Skinceuticals. It’s undoubtedly costly, however it applies so properly—my pores and skin feels so hydrated and dewy that I don’t want one other serum or moisturizer on high typically,” she says. “I’ve additionally discovered that some vitamin C formulation go away an orange hue on my face once they oxidize, and this one doesn’t. It actually helped my solar spots, melasma, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.”
Pores and skin kind: Regular, dry | Measurement: 1 fl oz | Different notable substances: Hydrating glycerin and hyaluronic acid
Greatest for Delicate Pores and skin: Dr. Loretta
Dr. Loretta
Anti-Growing older Restore Serum
People with simply irritated pores and skin can really feel good going all in on this splurge-worthy serum. Simply ask SELF’s commerce director, Shanna Shipin: “I’ve pores and skin that peels after I take a look at an exfoliator, hyper-charged serum, or any form of retinol,” she says. “So after I lastly got down to discover an incredible vitamin C serum, I particularly seemed for one which was thought of friendlier to delicate pores and skin, and I am so pleased I landed on this light Dr. Loretta components.”
The key? It’s made with tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a gentler model of vitamin C. Plus, it accommodates hydrating marine algae extracts, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin to maintain your complexion pleased. “My pores and skin feels nourished and guarded,” Shipin says. “It is also tremendous light-weight and has a beautiful, silky texture, so it does not make my pores and skin really feel congested or itchy after I layer moisturizer over it.”
Pores and skin kind: Dry, mixture, delicate | Measurement: 1 fl oz | Different notable substances: Smoothing dimethicone, soothing bisabolol
Greatest Light-weight: Tatcha The Brightening Serum
Tatcha
The Brightening Serum
I’ve tried a lot of completely different vitamin C serums through the years, however this Tatcha one reigns supreme. Proper from the leap, I utilized this each day with zero irritation. The skinny, watery consistency absorbs into my pores and skin in lower than a minute, so I’m not standing round ready to use my sunscreen. Even higher, I can layer my moisturizer and eye cream on high, and it by no means capsules.
I additionally love the pump bottle: I don’t have to fret in regards to the components getting uncovered to air and oxidizing, plus it’s opaque, which prevents daylight from messing with the serum.
Pores and skin kind: Regular, oily, mixture | Measurement: 1 fl oz | Different notable substances: Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ferulic acid, plum extracts and licorice root extract (antioxidants)
Greatest for Pimples: La Roche-Posay Pure 12% Vitamin C Serum
La Roche-Posay
Pure 12% Vitamin C Serum
That is the one vitamin C product on our record with salicylic acid, an exfoliant that unclogs pores to stop breakouts. It earns excessive reward from Jennifer Sawaya, MD, a dermatologist with US Dermatology Companions Scottsdale. She additionally likes its different skin-boosting substances, together with hyaluronic acid, which holds 1,000 instances its weight in water to maintain pores and skin hydrated.
Mona Gohara, MD, the affiliate scientific professor of dermatology at Yale Faculty of Drugs, tells SELF that it’s “straightforward to layer and cosmetically elegant,” that means it absorbs into pores and skin simply and performs properly with different merchandise. She often recommends it to her sufferers.
Pores and skin kind: Oily, regular | Measurement: 1 fl oz | Different notable substances: Glycerin
Greatest with Retinol: Matter of Truth Wrinkle + Texture Focus
Matter of Truth
Wrinkle + Texture Focus
You possibly can double up on powerhouse skincare substances with this SELF Wholesome Magnificence Award–profitable serum. It accommodates 5% vitamin C to brighten your pores and skin tone and shield towards solar harm, in addition to retinol to easy effective traces and wrinkles. Additionally key: Azelaic acid—one other pores and skin brightener—and bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol various that’s identified to be a bit of gentler. (Professional tip: Retinol could make your pores and skin extra delicate to the solar, so we suggest utilizing this serum throughout your P.M. routine.)
“This was my favourite of all of the merchandise I examined, and it’s one thing I take advantage of each evening,” our tester mentioned. “The cream is silky easy and gave me seen outcomes. After years (YEARS!) of being within the solar with out SPF, I’ve renewed confidence about my look when out with same-age associates.”
Pores and skin kind: Regular, dry, mixture, and oily | Measurement: 1 fl oz | Different notable substances: Dimethicone, soothing urea, vitamin E, ferulic acid
Highest Focus: Magnificence Stat Common C Refiner Vitamin C Brightening Serum
Magnificence Stat
Common C Refiner Vitamin C Brightening Serum
“This Beautystat vitamin C is just not for inexperienced persons. This components is highly effective—and I imply that in the easiest way!” says SELF’s editor in chief, Jessica Merciless. The 20% focus is taken into account a medical-grade quantity of vitamin C, based on Dr. Sawaya. However that additionally means it will get proper right down to enterprise resurfacing and brightening your pores and skin.
“It has a satiny, matte texture that blends in simply,” Merciless says, including that it really works finest on darkish spots and discoloration. “It could possibly go away a little bit of a tingle, so I at all times suggest that you just apply it to fully dry pores and skin and keep away from under-eyes.”
Pores and skin kind: Regular, mixture | Measurement: 1 fl oz | Different notable substances: Inexperienced tea extract (an antioxidant), moisturizing squalane, hyaluronic acid
Greatest for Exfoliating: Tata Harper Resurfacing Serum
Tata Harper Skincare
Resurfacing Serum
This Tata Harper serum derives its vitamin C from kakadu plum and contains alpha and beta hydroxy acids, Dr. Sawaya says. These substances could also be particularly useful for these with cussed scarring and darkish spots, since they promote mobile turnover.
“This can be a distinctive serum as a result of it’s not solely a vitamin C antioxidant serum, however it’s additionally an exfoliating one,” Rachel Westbay, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical, tells SELF. “The mix of 5 AHAs and a couple of BHAs slough off floor lifeless pores and skin cells to optimize mild reflection for the final word glow and collagen increase, whereas the vitamin C element protects that glow from free radical harm. The last word marriage of deal with and shield!”
Pores and skin kind: Oily, mixture | Measurement: 1 fl oz | Different notable substances: Glycerin, squalane
Greatest for Irritation: SkinMedica Vitamin C + E Complicated
SkinMedica
Vitamin C + E Complicated
Dr. Potozkin recommends this serum from SkinMedica, which accommodates the skin-brightening one-two punch of vitamin C and vitamin E. We’re additionally pleased to see bisabolol—a anti-inflammatory ingredient that’ll calm irritation—on the label, a giant win for delicate or reactive pores and skin. What you gained’t discover on this serum is perfume, parabens, sulfates, or different potential irritants.
Pores and skin kind: Regular, mixture, dry | Measurement: 1 fl oz | Different notable substances: Phytantriol (a humectant)
Greatest for Hydration: Olay Tremendous Serum
This do-it-all serum gained our Wholesome Magnificence Award tester over with its spectacular, multitasking components. “If I might solely have one skincare product on a abandoned island, it could be this,” they mentioned. “Becuase it’s made with a ton of my favourite substances, it’s my go-to each time I journey and may’t convey all of my skincare necessities in a tiny make-up bag.”
A couple of standout substances price mentioning: vitamin C (you understand the deal); hyaluronic acid, panthenol, and niacinamide (all tremendous hydrators); plumping peptides; and exfoliating lactic acid.
Pores and skin kind: Regular, mixture, dry | Measurement: 0.4 fl oz | Different notable substances: Vitamin E, glycerin, dimethicone
How we picked these vitamin C serums
First, we requested dermatologists what to search for in a vitamin C serum. With their recommendation in thoughts, we sorted via previous SELF Wholesome Magnificence Award winners to seek out merchandise that match the invoice. And our record wouldn’t be full with out recs from seasoned SELF editors, who’ve examined their justifiable share of skincare. They shared the choices that’ve been lining their drugs cupboards.
What to search for when selecting a vitamin C serum
Right here’s what to think about for those who’re wanting so as to add one to your skincare routine.
Vitamin C merchandise could comprise completely different quantities of the star ingredient. In case your pigmentation is delicate or you may have dry or delicate pores and skin, undoubtedly begin on the decrease finish (round 5%) as a result of vitamin C merchandise may be irritating at greater concentrations, Sara Hogan, MD, a dermatologist at UCLA Medical Heart, Santa Monica, beforehand advised SELF. In case your points are extra average to extreme or for those who’ve been utilizing vitamin C merchandise for some time with none sensitivity issues, you may go all the way in which as much as 20%.
The results you’ll get from vitamin C merchandise plateau after 20%, so there’s no motive to pay extra for something above that focus. Sadly, not all corporations clearly label how a lot vitamin C their merchandise comprise, so it’s a good suggestion to learn the specs on a producer’s web site or seek the advice of your dermatologist earlier than shopping for.
Subsequent, contemplate the type of vitamin C within the product you’re taking a look at. Some merchandise comprise L-ascorbic acid (the OG), whereas others comprise chemically modified derivatives of vitamin C. These substances may be extremely unstable, since they’re typically delicate to each oxygen and light-weight, so that you’ll need to be looking out for merchandise that use extra steady and efficient kinds.
Some kinds are additionally higher suited to sure pores and skin varieties. As an illustration, sodium ascorbyl phosphate is water-soluble, so that you’ll normally discover it in lighter, water-based merchandise which might be nice for shiny pores and skin. However ascorbyl palmitate, one other kind, is lipid-soluble—you’ll typically see it in oil-based serums and moisturizing formulation which might be higher for mature or dry pores and skin.
Lastly, take note of how the product is designed and saved. As a result of vitamin C is such a temperamental ingredient that may oxidize and lose effectiveness rapidly, go for merchandise that are available darkish or opaque packaging that blocks mild. One other plus? Merchandise with an airless pump, somewhat than a dropper—this design prevents the contents from being uncovered to oxygen.
How must you incorporate vitamin C into your skincare routine?
Dr. Hogan beforehand advised SELF that it will depend on what sort of product you’re contemplating including to your routine. Serums are finest utilized straight after cleaning your pores and skin however earlier than moisturizing it (ideally within the morning, since vitamin C might help shield towards free radicals all through the day).
In the event you use retinol or benzoyl peroxide often, dermatologists don’t suggest utilizing a vitamin C serum on the identical time, as the mix could cause it to lose efficiency. Because it’s more practical to make use of vitamin C within the morning, professionals recommend utilizing benzoyl peroxide and retinol at evening or on completely different days of the week for the most effective outcomes.
Questioning how a vitamin C serum will play with a unique energetic ingredient in your skincare routine? Do a little analysis to verify whether or not it is sensible to mix them first earlier than you dive in. And do not forget that how you employ the product is simply as vital because the product itself. Utilizing a vitamin C serum persistently and storing it properly (in a cool, darkish place) to protect its efficiency may end up in noticeable pores and skin enhancements—however not in a single day. You’ll in all probability want to make use of even the most effective merchandise for a couple of weeks or months earlier than you begin to see outcomes.
With reporting by Sarah Jacoby
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